International students reliant on community organisations to survive
the pandemic
The pandemic has left international students in crisis and with slim prospects. NSW SLASA hopes that their ‘almuerzos solidarios’, solidarity lunches, will help ease the strain.
The NSW Spanish and Latin-American Association for Social Assistance (SLASA) has begun to offer free lunches for those struggling from their community centre in South Western Sydney thanks to a NSW government grant. The initiative started in Bonnyrigg last week, and while it is open to all, it aims to offer assistance to international students.
Mirta starts cooking and preparing meals at 7:30 am with the help of her husband, Hugo, and Fresia, another SLASA volunteer.
The team prepares approximately 30 servings per day before distributing meals well into the afternoon.
Hot meals will continue to be distributed twice a week until late October. Students can also access frozen meals on a near-daily basis. Carlos Encina, manager at SLASA, estimates that the organisation distributes close to 100 meals per week total.
SLASA volunteers are worried about the burden on the health crisis has placed on the community. Mr Encina explains that before receiving the government grant, they had also created a Facebook page in collaboration with other Hispanic organisations to share information and programs that may be useful to students experiencing hardship. SLASA has also received community donations of essential items, such as blankets and nappies for students with children or others who may need it.
“Students are in a really, really fragile situation,” states Mr George Lombard, solicitor and migration agent. “At any one time, there are over half a million students in Australia, and most are reliant on money from home...,” adds Mr Lombard. For those with families financially affected by the pandemic, financing their studies and living expenses becomes difficult. International students cannot work more than 20 hours per week to satisfy their visa conditions. Students are therefore more likely to find casual and part-time work in sectors such as hospitality and retail, which have been hit hardest by the pandemic. For those left without jobs and access to government assistance like Youth Allowance or Jobseeker, their only lifeline is to turn to community organisations who might be willing to help.
However, the impacts are not only financial. Mr Lombard explains that many students have also lost pathways to remain in Australia. “Most students come to Australia to achieve something to improve their life...Many were hoping to have a [permanent residency] pathway by studying specific courses,”. However, COVID has seen the Australian government shift towards only sponsoring individuals from critical sectors, like healthcare, for permanent residency. “It’s clear that Australians themselves are suffering, but students are suffering because they are locked into courses that are now inappropriate for them,”.
